The human body is remarkable thing. We're not scientists, so we can't claim to know exactly how it all works, but even those in the know can be baffled by its tenacity and its incredible ability to overcome the worst odds.
A case in point is the tale of Rob Mooberry. In 2012, he was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer and told he only had weeks to live.
Although surgery, chemo and radiotherapy meant his cancer diagnosis was downgraded to stage 3A, the 43 year-old father of two stopped the conventional treatments he'd been receiving and instead decided to switch to a raw vegan diet, reports the Mirror.
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His wife Amanda claimed in a Facebook post on The Way We Met's page that the new holistic approach was something of a miracle cure and that within three weekd, Rob's cancer had shrunk by 80%.
He made the decision after medical professionals told him he'd need two rounds of chemotherapy and radiation therapy and that there was also a chance he'd need to have a colostomy bag fitted.
That clearly scared him enough to try the plant-based diet at the behest of Amanda, who was a vegetarian. It obviously seemed like a shot in the dark, but desperate times call for desperate measures, and there clearly wasn't anything for him to lose by trying.
When he had his next scan in early 2013, his cancer had shrunk drastically. The bartender - who also runs a cancer charity - has now been cancer free for five years.
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While it's amazing that the diet appeared to have helped him so much, Rob isn't proclaiming that it's a be all and end all cure.
"I'm not standing here on my soap box saying everyone needs to go plant-based and vegan," he told Metro. "But if you're going to ask me what worked for me, I'll tell you: the diet."
Of course, the chemo and radiation therapy he went through probably helped, too. Not that we're discounting the effects of the diet either. And we totally understand why he wouldn't want to undergo more traditional treatments as they truly are punishing.
"When I finished chemo, the oncologists were saying I would need to do more straight away and I really didn't want to," he said.
"I needed to heal. That's when I knew I needed to do anything to beat this cancer. I was really willing to try anything to save my life. That's when I went hard-core raw, vegan, superfoods."
His story was shared by country star Tim McGraw and has since gone viral. As it should. It's nice to have a little bit of good news for a change.
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